The David Frum Show

On this week’s episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts about the recently reported peace talks between the United States and Iran. David argues that these reported talks indicate the United States is losing the war in Iran, and that the loss highlights what has always been true: The presidency is too big a job for Donald Trump.

Then David is joined by Representative Jason Crow of Colorado to discuss Trump’s politicization of the American military, lessons from the war in Iran, and the chaos at Pete Hegseth’s “Department of War”.

David ends with a discussion of James Boswell’s classic biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson.

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On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his reaction to President Trump’s shocking settlement with the IRS and his new $1.8 billion slush fund for victims of political “weaponization.”

Then, David is joined by Phillips O’Brien, a military historian and a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, for a discussion about the fallout from the war in Iran, Russia’s stalemate with Ukraine, and Trump’s recent meeting with President Xi Jinping in China. Frum and O’Brien discuss Trump’s lack of commitment toward Taiwan and how he has greatly diminished America’s standing with China.

Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of “What Science Says About Astrology,” by Carlos Orsi.

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his reaction to recent reporting surrounding the Trump family’s “patriotic,” Trump-branded cellphones. David explains how this is yet another instance of the most powerful sowing doubt about the fairness of American business and destroying confidence in the ideals of American enterprise. 

Then, David is joined by Lloyd Blankfein, a former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, for a wide-ranging conversation about the current state of the American economy. They discuss Blankfein’s new memoir, “Streetwise”; the expanding American debt; the American people’s faith in the economy; and the challenges that lie ahead.

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” David is joined by his wife, the writer Danielle Crittenden, to discuss her new memoir, “Dispatches From Grief,” and the loss of their daughter Miranda. 

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. David examines the role of the dinner in an administration that rejects the basic concepts of honesty with and respect toward independent media. During previous administrations, there was some norm of good faith between the White House and the press. But now, as the president systematically misleads the media and is openly hostile to the press, David asks what the point of this night of pretended common purpose is.

Then, David is joined by Jamal Simmons, a host of the “Trailblaze” podcast and a former communications director for Kamala Harris, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the Democratic Party. David and Simmons discuss Harris’s profile among her party’s constituents, how much the online left should dictate Democratic policy, what happened in 2024, and what Democrats should do in 2028.

Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of “The Magician,” by Colm Tóibín.

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with a discussion of the likelihood that the partisan balance of power will shift from Republicans to Democrats at the state-government level. 

Then, David is joined by the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Adam Posen, for a conversation about the state of the world’s economy. David and Posen discuss the economic effect of the war in Iran, the United States’ reputational hit caused by Trump’s tariffs, and the chance of global recession. 

Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of “Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed,” by Maureen Callahan, and reflects on why reactions to the abuse of women by men in power seem to have become a partisan issue.

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In this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his reaction to the recent election in Hungary and the defeat of Viktor Orbán. David counters Orbán defenders who claim that this loss proves Orbán was never a threat. Antidemocratic leaders often face institutional constraints, and it was those institutional constraints that compelled Orbán to accept a defeat after years of abuse of power.

Then, David is joined by former U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger to discuss the current state of President Trump’s war in Iran. David and Pottinger talk about the recent failed negotiations between the two sides in Pakistan, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and what could happen next. They also discuss how the Iran war is viewed in China and how it has been a financial gain for Russia.

Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of “Labyrinths,” by Jorge Luis Borges.

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on the nearly two decades of economic turmoil that has caused younger generations to lose faith in American institutions and led to the rise of populism in the United States. David argues that as the country stands on the precipice of a Donald Trump–manufactured economic crisis, perhaps we will learn to appreciate the basic ideas that led to prosperity in the 1980s and ’90s.

Then David is joined by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria to reflect on the American ideals that captivated David and Fareed when they first immigrated to the U.S. and whether they still ring true today. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, David and Fareed discuss whether this country remains the same one they moved to many years ago and whether America has strayed from its foundational principles.

Finally, David concludes the episode with an examination of Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel, “Invisible Cities,” and a discussion about our postliterate society.

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In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on the strange lack of information about the current war in Iran. He wonders why, despite the publicized tactical success of the United States’ campaign in Iran, the war seems to be progressing in an unfavorable way for the U.S.

Then David is joined by his colleague at The Atlantic Graeme Wood to discuss Graeme’s recent reporting from the Persian Gulf. David and Graeme talk about Graeme’s experiences being bombed in Dubai and snorkeling in the Strait of Hormuz. They also discuss what happens next in Iran, Trump’s failure in political messaging on the war, and the state of the global energy market.

David concludes with a discussion of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” which was published 250 years ago this year. 

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On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on President Trump’s recent comments that appear to show a desire to back away from his war in Iran. David argues that Trump is comfortable as a “wartime” president as long as the enemy is American Democrats, and then he compares the president’s rhetoric about Iran with his rhetoric about his fellow Americans.

Then, David is joined by the historian and journalist Lord Andrew Roberts to discuss why right-wing podcasters seem so fixated on insisting that Winston Churchill was the villain of the Second World War. Frum and Lord Roberts discuss the origins of pseudo-historians and why they appeal so much to the American right.

Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of the novel “Burr,” by Gore Vidal, and the relationship between art and morality. 

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